Sable's Secret
by GenericDude
Summary: Both Tom Nook and Sable have settled into a relationship months after their reconciliation. Everything is going well until a figure from Sable's past returns, threatening to destroy her relationship with Tom Nook for good. Rated T for uncomfortable themes and swearing.
1. Chapter 1

**After a long and gruelling battle with writer's block, I've finally found what it takes to carry on writing, after many cancellations and unsatisfactory oneshots. This story is a sequel to Star Shirt, if you feel like hunting that story down to read first, but you won't miss very much if you just continue reading this story instead. Enjoy!**

Sable's Secret

Chapter 1

As the door was pushed open, it struck against an ensemble of chimes that hung from the ceiling. A harmonious arrangement of ringing emitted from the chimes, signifying the door's opening. It was 7:55 am; the store wasn't open yet, but Sable knew at once who had appeared.

"Hello, Tom" she called as she turned around to see her boyfriend, Tom Nook, standing at the door. Tom Nook, dressed in his suave business suit, opened his arms, welcoming Sable into them, kissing her on the cheek as she wrapped her own arms around him. The pair had been a couple for a good few months, having been brought together after many years of silence. Tom Nook had never been happier in his life; Sable had filled the large chasm of suppressed sadness that had been dominating his life ever since his return to town. Sable had similar feelings: being with Tom Nook finally made all the turbulence of their past relationship worthwhile. The two could be seen as matching halves of a whole, completing one and other.

Letting go of Sable, Tom readjusted his suit, prim and proper.

"How are you this morning?" he asked. Sable rubbed her quills back with her hand; she smiled as she readjusted her apron. Their embrace had ruffled both of their uniforms, and that wasn't good for business.

"I'm well" Sable replied. "A little rush this morning, Mabel overslept so I've been worrying myself with trying to get her down on time for opening" she explained as she busily worked on her appearance, her hands flying about her like bees, working away at any unkempt areas. "You never know when the busiest hour will be, MABEL!" she called, halting her hands.

"I'm coming, let me just do my hair!" Mabel complained, her muffled voice booming from upstairs.

"Five minutes, okay?" Sable hollered. Both she and Tom Nook could hear Mabel grumbling away to herself incomprehensibly; the two started to giggle.

"It's good to see you running things so ship shape around here" Tom Nook noticed, glancing around the shop. "I've never said it until now, but everything here is in such neat order" He strolled towards the shirt display. "Your shirts are in a perfect line…" He then knelt down and rubbed the wooden floor planks with his finger. After a long, tough wipe, he lifted his finger and inspected the tip of it carefully.

"…Your floors are spotless, too" he commended, rising back up to full height. Shooting swift glances around the room, he walked slowly back towards Sable.

"And the homely atmosphere here is just…addictive, to say the least!" he finished, resting his eyes back on the now orderly Sable. Sable blushed a little at the compliments, giggling a little.

"You give me too much credit" she said, wrapping his arms around Tom Nook's waist, partly hanging off of him. "Your store is better than mine; the size of it is quite something"

Tom Nook waved his hand slowly as if to swat away the compliment, snorting a little.

"Oh no, size doesn't mean much" Tom grunted. "It just means you can fit more stuff inside. I might have the space, but the floors could use with a good clean. I might set Timmy and Tommy onto them with a mop and broom: they could use with some manual labor"

The two chuckled quietly before sighing, resting their eyes on each other again. Tom Nook then broke away gently from Sable, lightly holding her cheeks and kissing her on the mouth.

"I'd best be getting to my store then" he said quietly, moving away. "How about dinner at my house tonight?"

"Sure, do you want Timmy and Tommy to stay here the night?" Sable asked. "Mabel can babysit again, like before"

"Sounds like a plan" Tom Nook agreed, resting his hand on the door, opening it. The chimes sounded once more as he stepped one foot outside. "See you tonight!" he called, closing the door on a waving Sable.

A couple of hours passed in the Able Sisters store. Business went by as usual; a few people came in to see the clothes and accessories on store, and Mabel had succeeded in selling a couple of dresses whilst Sable busily worked away at the corner of the shop, creating new clothes from the rolls of cloth that she had.

"Okay, have a good day now!" Mabel called as a happy customer left the shop. As the door closed, Mabel slumped slightly.

"Whew" she said, exhaling deeply afterwards. "It's only 10, and I'm already tired!"

"It's because you overslept" Sable murmured above the noise of her machine, her head unflinching from her work. Mabel grumbled slightly.

"Well, I'm not perfect" she muttered.

"Do you want me to cover for a few minutes while you get some rest?" Sable asked. Mabel pondered the decision, starting to feel a little guilty about shirking her duties.

"Is…is that okay with you?" she asked. Sable shut her machine off, looking up to her sister before standing with a faint smile.

"Of course" she replied. "Go and have an hour. You'll be less tired then" she suggested.

"Okay" Mabel hummed, removing her apron and folding it neatly, placing it upon the desk near the sewing machine. She started to make her way for the door to go upstairs, but before she reached it, she turned around slowly.

"…Sure now, sis?" she asked again.

"If you really don't feel up to it, then it's important you rest properly. Make yourself some coffee upstairs and take the time to properly wake up, hm?" she asked kindly.

"Okay, sis…" Mabel said quietly, opening the door. Stepping through, she turned around one last time. "If you need anything, just give me a shout and I'll be down" she explained, before fully shutting the door.

At the same moment the door closed, the door to the outside opened, setting off the chimes once again. Sable wore her smile and turned around, ready to greet her customer.

"Hello, welcome-"

That was all she could manage to say. She came face to face with a man a head's height higher than her. He was a grey furred wolf, who wore a buttoned shirt, with the top buttons undone, revealing his billowing fur. His long, powerful legs were hidden by sleek jeans and a large pair of boots, slightly reminiscent of a lumberjack. His short sleeves revealed his large biceps and his intimidating forearms; his left hand was adorned with a large, gold signet ring on his middle finger. He had spike ears, almost sharp; his eyes were red and fixed with a steely gaze. His mouth was large and two of his fangs just about crept out from underneath his top lip.

Sable was in utter shock. Her mind begun to draw blanks as she gazed upon this man, who stood in the doorway, almost filling it's entire area. The head's height in difference made her feel dwarfed.

"…Sable"

Upon hearing the man's voice, the blanks started to fill inside Sable's head. The voice was a surprise; hoarse and low, unexpected from a man his size. She started to remember the voice, the husk of his tone brought a shiver to her spine. Everything begun to feel dream-like; it had to be a dream, she though. It just **had **to. There was no other plausible explanation for his appearance.

"...M-Mark…" Sable uttered, too shocked to arrange her own sentences. As the big man let the puny door swing shut behind him, he started to walk towards her, a cocky smile emerging from his lips. His steps made clomping noises on the wooden floorboards; Sable could swear the entire store was slightly shaking from his steps.

"What are you doing here?" Sable said sharply, stopping herself before she collided with her shirt display. The man snorted a little, opening his large, muscular arms for her.

"Hey, that ain't no way to greet an old friend now, huh?" he joked. "Come on, baby, gimme a hug" He advanced, Sable started to love closer to the hat display, trying to keep an acceptable distance between the two. She attempted to treat him like a normal customer, but it was too much for her to bear. The only thing she could do was keep her voice down; if Mabel were to see this, the explanation was going to be difficult.

"Mark, answer my question" Sable said, trying to keep her voice low. It quivered with uncertainty; his size was intimidating her. She felt weak to allow herself to feel scared, her emotions were running riot in her head as her recollections started to piece together, creating a past story that flustered her considerably. Mark stopped, confused that Sable was acting this way towards him.

"What, I just came to see my baby again" he moaned playfully. Taking a step forward, he bent down a little so he could see eye to eye with Sable. His red eyes were almost unnatural; Sable slightly averted her gaze. "What's gotten into you? Don't you remember me?"

"Don't call me baby, please" Sable uttered, sidestepping to put space between the two again. She was now advancing towards the wall; she felt relieved to know she could consistently put distance between the two by traversing the circle around the item displays. "I don't understand, you can't be here to see me…not after so long!"

Mark shrugged his shoulders, slightly annoyed. He spread his large, strong hands out, emphasizing his irritated state.

"I missed you!" he said strongly. Sable looked wildly at him, quickly shooting a gaze to the ceiling.

"Shhh!" she hissed. "Keep your voice down"

"What, who's upstairs?" Mark asked, calming down slightly, his hands lowering. "Is your sis here too? I haven't seen her in ages!"

Sable had had enough. If this man was to stay any longer, things could start getting difficult. She felt emotionally overwhelmed; her legs were weakening, wobbling. She had to be rid of Mark, at least out of the store, out of her sight.

"Look, this isn't a good time" she pleaded quietly. "Can we talk later?"

"But I wanted to talk now, hon" Mark hummed, stepping towards her again. Sable went towards the door, opening it slightly, just past the chimes.

"I'm working" she retorted quickly, sweating a little with panic. "What if a customer comes in and sees this?"

Mark stood there, considering for a few seconds before sighing. "Fine" he admitted. "I'll leave you here to work. When can we talk?"

"We can talk…" Sable begun quickly. She was about to say 'tonight', but suddenly realized that she was spending the night over at Tom Nook's residence. The thought of Tom nook brought a wave of despair and comfort at the same time; what would he think if he discovered of Mark's existence? Many questions related to love and trust popped in her head; she blotted them out as best as she could, opening the door a little more.

"Tomorrow night" she said.

"Why not tonight?" Mark replied quickly.

"I'm with a friend" she parried back, just as quickly.

"Oh yeah?" Mark growled, taking a big step towards the door and her. He leant down again, slamming the door shut with his hand, keeping it on the doorknob. Sable was petrified; his strength was almost controlling. "What friend?"

Sable's eyes darted for a safe place to go; moving would have been a big mistake. She had to stand by the door; it was the only way she could convince Mark to leave the store.

"J-Just a friend of mine" she said quickly. But Mark inched closer.

"You haven't been **cheating **on me behind my back while I've been gone, eh?" he spat, his eyes flaring. Sable felt like wilting: she felt like telling him to shove off and never come back…but that was not an option. Mark wasn't that kind of man. Could he tell him that she was in a relationship with Tom Nook, the local shop owner?

"A friend…a lady friend" she confirmed quietly.

"Lady friend, eh?" Mark hummed, moving away slightly. "You didn't have any of 'em before…"

He stood up straight, opening the door and taking a large step out.

"Fine" he conceded, only slightly turning his head to her direction. "Tomorrow night. I'll give you a call" As he did, he reached out for the small stack of business cards that was by the door. He aimed for one, but his hands took five instead. Without exchanging another glance, he walked out of the store, the door closing slowly behind him, setting the chimes off once again.

The door behind her opened, and Mabel emerged, looking slightly worried.

"I could hear something from upstairs" she noted, walking to her sister. "Did you get a nasty customer?"

"I…I did" Sable uttered, turning around. She looked very upset; her eyes were glistening. Mabel gasped upon seeing the state of her sister and hugged her at once.

"Oh my, what did he or she say to you?" she said, frustrated. "Why I ought to…to box their ears!"

Sable let go, still holding her tears back.

"Mabel…I don't feel like I can continue with the day today" she admitted. "Could you take over?"

Mabel nodded her head vigorously, helping Sable to undo her apron before putting her own on.

"Leave everything to me, sis!" she comforted. "I'll take care of everything"

Sable wanted to say thanks, but she was completely stunned by what had just happened. Without a word, her head hung low, she slowly made her way to the door, opening it and slinking her way upstairs, completely deflated. What seemed like a normal day had just turned out to be the worst day of the whole year. And it had the potential to get a lot worse.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tom Nook walked into the store, wearing his large, black trench coat. There was nobody in as he stepped through; closing the door behind him, he gazed around, looking for Sable.

"Sable?" he called. The door opened up behind him; both Timmy and Tommy entered, wearing backpacks and carrying sleeping bags. The two young raccoons were excited to the point of fluster that they could sleep over again. Mabel was always such good fun to be around; their nights would consist of board games, scary stories and if the provisions were there, midnight feasts.

"I'm here" a muffled voice called out and Sable appeared from the other door in the room, adjusting her earring. Tom Nook stepped over to her, taking her arm. Something was the second he took hold of her; she seemed more encumbering. Mabel then appeared; the two younger raccoons squeaked with delight as they gathered around 'Auntie Mabel'. Tom Nook watched as they gathered around her, before turning to look at her himself.

"Mabel, are you okay with babysitting for tonight?" he asked. Mabel nodded, ruffling Timmy and Tommy's heads.

"No trouble at all, I'll make sure they behave" she said strongly, looking towards the slightly deflated Sable. "Enjoy your evening together"

"We will" Sable replied. "Good night Mabel"

"Good night!" Mabel called as her sister and Tom Nook went for the door.

Tom Nook had already clicked that something was wrong. Sable had been acting strange from the moment he had walked in to pick her up from the store. They walked arm in arm towards Tom Nook's house, but her arm was limp; there was no conviction behind her support. Her eyes were slightly glazed and more obviously, Tom Nook's attempts at initiating their usual conversation were unsuccessful. He could tell as he craned his head to look at her that there was something wrong; they walked far slower than usual. The sense of relaxation was missing as well; there was a hint of tension in the air. Tom Nook didn't really need to hear a word from Sable to tell that something was wrong and as they approached his house, he started to think: was she ill? Had someone in the family died? No, he told himself. Sable wouldn't keep that sort of information away from him like this. Then again, she was prone to keeping things away from him, in the fear of upsetting him.

He felt tempted to ask if she was okay, but continued to have doubts about the inquiry as he prepared their dinner. Each time he stopped himself from asking, the temptation came back anew, he just had to know what was bugging her! He had never seen Sable so quiet in a long time; her silence went past her shy attitude into the realm of the strange. But what pained Tom Nook most of all was the fact that he hated to see her sad. He had fallen head over heels for her; watching her staring glumly towards her food with her fork loosely held in her hand made Tom Nook feel as if he was neglecting his new responsibility.

The temptation grew too much to bear. After eating a few mouthfuls of his food, he knew he just had to ask.

"Sable, are you okay?" he asked casually, trying not to put much emphasis on his words. "You've barely touched your casserole"

Sable looked up to Tom Nook, her eyelids heavy and her expression weary. She let out an audible sigh; Tom Nook could tell she was very sad about something.

"…I-I'm sorry, Tom" she said quietly, putting her fork down. "I don't feel hungry tonight"

"Sable…" Tom said quietly, putting his own fork down. "…Is something wrong?"

He watched as Sable gathered her strength to talk, but he spotted her eyes glistening with tears. At once, he hoisted up his chair and positioned it right next to Sable, sitting down and putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Why are you crying?" he consoled. "Please Sable, tell me what's wrong"

Sable wanted to pour her heart out onto the table, to tell him of the man that had visited the Able Sisters store. But she couldn't bring herself to explain such a long and painful story to him. She was afraid of how he would react.

"…I…Tom, please forgive me…" she sobbed quietly as Tom Nook took her into his arms, holding her sides and looking towards her teary eyes.

"Sable, please tell me if there's something wrong" he said calmly, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. "I'm not sure what's gotten you all upset like this, but I don't want you to feel sad"

Sable started to think deeply; would Tom Nook react badly to the news of the man who had entered the Able Sisters store? Could he face up to the man named Mark?

The deliberation was quick.

"Tom…something **is** wrong" she said quietly. She looked to the floor, doing her best to cease her sobbing. It was time to make her decision. "…But I don't feel I can tell you right now"

"…Huh?" Tom Nook hummed, slightly confused. "Why not? Does it concern us?"

"It's something very…personal to me." Sable murmured, unable to meet Tom Nook's gaze. "If I told you now, I don't know how you would take it. I…I'm sorry I can't tell you this…please don't think that I don't trust you…"

"Hey, you never said that" Tom Nook said quickly. Sable was slightly caught by surprise by the comment, lifting her head back up to Tom Nook's eyes. His face was one of sincerity and somewhat saintly patience. It would have been a sight for anyone used to the old Tom Nook to behold. Tom Nook was fully aware of how touchy the situation was, and drawing from experience in the past, decided not to press any details.

"T-Tom…" Sable muttered, flattered by his endurance. Tom Nook started to chuckle a little to himself.

"I feel like a completely different person when I'm around you" Tom Nook explained. "Why, compare me now to a few months ago, and it's almost like comparing two different people!" He realized he was going off track with his point, shaking his head quickly. "Anyway, what I'm saying is that even if you can't tell me now, that's fine. I can wait"

Sable started to feel a slight comfort; she thanked the heavens that Tom Nook was such a good person to her. "A-Are you sure you'll be fine with this?" she asked, still unsure. Tom Nook then released a small smile, taking one of her hands and rubbing her fingers softly.

"You tell me the problem when you feel ready to tell me, okay?" he asked. Kissing her forehead, he sighed quietly. "Let me put these in the microwave for a reheat. Maybe some food will make you feel better"

That night, lying down beside Sable in the bed, Tom Nook stared towards the ceiling. He knew he wasn't perfect. When in front of Sable, he kept his composure and made sure that nothing bad happened. Her comfort was his number one priority. But now, as she lay sleeping, Tom Nook was alone. And with that loneliness came the fear that Sable's secret had the potential to be devastating to him. Perhaps he was a tolerant soul in her eyes, but once those eyes had closed, the quiet, awkward fear started to emerge within him. Closing his eyes and turning onto his side, he prayed desperately that nothing bad would happen to him or Sable; the beginning of a sleepless night had begun.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Eleven o clock. Mabel was upstairs, cleaning the dishes, having just eaten supper. Sable was downstairs in the store, sitting by her desk where she would sow her merchandise. But the sowing machine was quiet. She wasn't there to work; every second that passed, her eyes remained fixed upon the phone on the desk. Any minute it would ring. Sable had asked her sister to respect her privacy whilst she took an 'important' phone call. Mabel thought it would have been some sort of business transaction. She didn't know how wrong she was.

Sable felt a little sick. She still couldn't believe what had happened to her in the last 48 hours. The appearance of Mark had plunged her entire world into an uncertain darkness: she knew the man could cause devastating damage to her sanity. He had that potential, that power over her. And the worst part of it was the fact that only she knew about him this way. This figure from her past, his tall, dominating figure and deceptive voice. It all felt too much to bear at times.

The phone suddenly started to ring. Gathering every ounce of courage she had, she braced herself to pick up the receiver as it rang for a second time. _He can't do any harm to me here; it's a phone call. _She placed her hand on the receiver, lifting it and halting the rings. Bringing it to her ear, she attempted to still her nervous heart.

"Hello?" she said softly.

"Is this Sable on the phone?" a familiar voice asked. Even with the fuzz from the receiver, his voice was unmistakable.

"…Mark" Sable murmured, closing her eyes.

"How is business?" Mark asked confidently.

"Business is fine" Sable hummed impatiently. It was only a few seconds into the call and she was already uncomfortable. "Look, this isn't the time for pleasantries. You wanted to talk to me"

"I'm glad you remembered, sugar puff" Mark wooed. Sable dismissed the compliment as somewhat lascivious, shaking it off. "Weren't you glad to see me again after so many years?"

"How did you find me?" Sable asked.

"It was a combination of loneliness and coincidence, my dear" Mark explained. "When this lil' jailbird got set free, I got myself a job as a lumberjack for a leading firm. Right now, I got a placement by the woods near here for a couple of weeks. When I realized that the nearby town was the one where you'd lived all your life, I couldn't pass up the chance to see you again"

"Placement?" Sable questioned. "That sounds like too much of a coincidence to me, Mark"

"Well" Mark spat over the phone; his harsh breathing made a cutting noise through the receiver. "If you hadn't gone and gotten me landed in jail, then I would have found something better to do"

"I…you can't blame that on me!" Sable said staunchly, trying her best to be strong. It helped that he wasn't stood in front of her, with his towering frame and piercing red eyes "You…it was your fault"

"After all this time, and you're still clinging to that…_little_…belief…" Mark uttered; it was clear that his rage was beginning to develop. There was a silence of the phone after his utter; Sable could just about hear him counting to ten.

"…I'm sorry, babe, I didn't mean to get all angry then" he apologized.

"Mark, things have changed now" Sable explained, trying to keep him at bay with her words. She selected them carefully: she didn't want to say anything that could be used against her. "What do you want from me? Just tell me now"

"I want you back, Sabe" Mark said clearly. "I want things to be like they were before. Weren't we happy then?"

"We were…" Sable muttered. "…But it can't be regained now, Mark. That is in the past and I've moved on from it, no matter how hard"

"You're sour, aren't you?" Mark accused. "Of all that stuff that happened, with me going to jail and such?"

"I don't know what you mean" Sable huffed defensively. She **did **know what he meant, she knew it very clearly. But she wouldn't give herself away that easily. If there was one thing here experiences had taught her, it was strength.

"I've done my best to forget everything that happened between us" Sable said clearly, feeling slightly triumphant. She hoped that mark would just accept defeat upon making her point. "Despite the…highs…they are memories that will only lead to pain. So if you want me, Mark, then you may as well forget it. I'm through with you"

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Sable's heart was now beating fast with excitement; she had never felt such power over a man before. She thought about the power she had built, and shuddered at the image of other people witnessing what she had done. What a tarnishing act, she thought, nobody would see Sable as such an innocent woman anymore if they had seen what she had done. She never self admired, but she couldn't help but pat herself on the back, admiring her resistance.

The silence, however, was suddenly broken.

"You know when you said you were going out with lady friends?" he said suddenly. Sable's trail of thought was broken, she quickly returned to the matter at hand.

"Sorry, say that again?" she asked.

"You said yesterday that you were going out with a lady friend or something along those lines" Mark spoke clearly, his voice suddenly gaining in volume.

"Y-yes, what of it?" Sable asked, anxious as to why his voice had grown in size.

"…Tell me the truth" he said. "You weren't going with a lady friend. I'm not dull, Sabe. I knew you very well back then, and I know enough now to say that you haven't any close lady friends"

"What do you know?" Sable accused, slightly scared that her past bluff had been figured out. "Maybe I've made n-new friends…"

"Don't lie, babe" he said. He was still saying 'babe', as if Sable's previous offensive had had no effect on him whatsoever. "Your face gave it all away. You were never good at lying, hon"

There was no running from the secret anymore. Sable realized that Mark had seen through her pretend 'lady friend' like glass. She started to feel weak again; disappointed after such a good onslaught of words. It was back to square one, with no more roll of the die.

"…If you must know, Mark, I am in a relationship with somebody else at the moment" Sable said, trying her best to stay strong.

"So _that's _why you've been acting strange with me" Mark hummed, a twinge of disappointment in his voice.

"Don't be silly" Sable scolded.

"And who is this lucky man, hm?" Mark inquired, with a hint of sarcasm and malice in his voice. Sable started to get frustrated; she would not allow him to get under her skin any longer. The call had to be ended soon, in any way possible.

"The details of my relationships, romantic or otherwise, are none of your business" she said.

"Is that so?" Mark grumbled. "Well, the way I see it, anything to do with you is partly my business as well"

"Please, just leave me alone" Sable sighed in a last act of desperation. She felt like slamming the phone down, but she knew that wouldn't be of any help to her now.

"Very well, then" Mark hummed, before starting to cough. "I think I've had my fill of chitchat for tonight. You needn't worry yourself about your boyfriend; I _know _I can convince you to come back to me. We can start all over and fill every day with the good times we had…before all that _stuff_ happened"

"Good night" Sable said impatiently, not allowing Mark to say anymore. She put the phone down and remained absolutely still for a few seconds, before exhaling and slumping back onto her chair. Rubbing her hands across her face, she sighed as her tiredness set in. It was stressful enough having to talk to Mark on the phone, but the prospect of him continually haunting her was a terrifying thought. The only solace she could see was the time limit on his 'placement'; if he was telling the truth, then he would be gone in two weeks and out of Sable's head. Shutting up shop, she wished deeply that this was the case. She knew from personal experience that Mark had the potential to be a very dangerous man.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Tom Nook woke up to find that Sable was absent from the bed. His night had been sleepless, as he had imagined. His thoughts had been focused upon Sable's worries. He was anxious; he had no idea what was causing Sable so much grief. Additional pressure came from her refusal to tell him what was wrong. Tom Nook had initially surmised that it was a family matter that was bothering Sable…but then again, he couldn't be so sure.

Putting himself through the usual morning routine, he prepared himself for work and locked up his house. The morning was grey and windy; typical autumn weather. Walking upon the carpet of dead leaves that lines his path to the town, Tom Nook set about to his day with a little more care and consideration. Questions reveled in his mind: when would Sable reveal her problem? What _was_ the problem? Was she ill? Had somebody hurt her? And most importantly, how long could Tom Nook contain his patience before it dwindled to temptation?

He entered Nookington's, looking at his watch. 7:30 am, it read. Seeing no reason to stay outside in the blustery weather, he activated the electricity from outside and entered the store. He remembered that today was Timmy and Tommy's day off, and in addition, the hairdressers' salon was under repairs for a broken chair and a new sink. It looked like he would be taking on the day alone.

A few minutes passed as he set about cleaning the floors of the ground level. Checking that his stock was in ship shape, he sat himself down by his desk. Pulling out a chart detailing his economical situation, he began to update it when the door opened.

Looking up, he saw a large, bulky grey wolf walking in, wearing a brown leather jacket, jeans and big black boots. There were sunglasses perched from his snout, hiding his eyes, but they could not disguise the man's intimidating mass. His fists were clenched; he turned his head slightly towards Tom Nook.

"Good morning!" he greeted. "You're a little early, but you can…"

He wanted to finish his sentence, but the man paid him no heed. His boots stomped against the ground as he walked slowly over towards the shop's merchandise.

"…Browse if you…want to" Tom finished quietly. He got the impression that this man didn't want to waste time with civilities. He watched as the man approached the tools section and decided to follow him, like he would with every customer.

The man slowly approached the tools, breathing out with a deep grunt. Turning his head, his eyesight seemed to fall upon the axe that was positioned on the table. He unclenched his great big hands and knelt down to grab the axe by the handle and hilt, lifting it up effortlessly. Tom Nook felt a little scared at watching such a big man wield an axe, and for a minute, he felt as if something bad was going to happen. The man turned around to face Tom Nook, wielding the axe tightly, the price tag still hanging off of the blade. The two remained still for a few seconds.

"Um…" Tom Nook hummed, trying to break the silence.

"How much for this axe?" he asked, unaware of the tag. Tom Nook breathed a quiet sigh of relief, glad that the man wasn't a psychopath. His voice was husky and hoarse, not as deep as one would expect from a man his size.

"That'll be 500 Bells, please" he said quickly. The man released one arm from the axe and dug it into his back pocket. Fishing out the tokens, he handed them to Tom Nook, dropping the coins and notes into his hands.

"Thank you very much" Tom Nook said quietly. Suddenly, the man moved forward, forcing Tom Nook to move back quickly to avoid a conflict. The man made a sharp turn for the exit, wielding the axe in one hand below its blade. He walked without stopping, exiting the store and eventually vanishing from sight. Tom Nook looked on in intrigue and a little fright, watching the man clutch his axe as if it were a weapon.

"I've never seen him around before" he murmured to himself. "He must be new in the neighborhood" Moving back towards his desk, he resumed his day, seeing no more strange occurrences.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Upon looking at the clock, Sable realized that it had been exactly 24 hours since she had received the phone call from Mark. She felt slightly vulnerable; the man was trying to woo her back into her old life, a life that she had aimed to stay away from. As hard as she tried, she felt herself unable to hide away the facts of her present life to Mark, and with each encounter, he seemed to discover more. She dare say why, but she knew that he had the ability to attain a hold on her. Realizing that she couldn't keep it to herself anymore, she decided that she needed to talk to someone. And that someone was Mabel.

Sable was sat upon her bed in the small bedroom above the shop. It held two beds, one for her and one for Mabel, with a small stove in the corner of the room and a pair of wardrobes for their clothes. The door made way to the landing, where access to a toilet was available, before the stairs leading down to the store. It was in the bedroom she had been sat since the day of work had ended. Listening for the sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs, she steeled herself to have an important conversation with her sister.

When Mabel walked into the room, she noticed at once that Sable was still looking just as tired as she did yesterday. There were bags beginning to form beneath her eyes and her facial expression showed her depression clearly.

"Are you ill, sis?" she asked with no greeting, stopping to examine her sister. Sable looked up towards Mabel, sighing.

"Mabel…I'm not ill" she revealed. "Come and sit down by here, I want to talk to you"

Mabel cast her gaze to Sable's hand, which was patting the mattress space next to her. She was gesturing for Mabel to take a seat, and this time, the both would sit on her bed. Normally, the two would sit on their own beds, but the closeness of this conversation sent signals to Mabel that something bad was afoot. Cautiously, she sat down next to her sister, looking over to her.

"What's wrong, then?" she asked. Sable gathered up her inner strength, evident by the closing of her eyes and controlled breathing. Opening her eyes, she kept her gaze on the floor.

"…Do you remember a man named Mark, Mabel?" she asked. The name rang ominous bells inside Mabel's head.

"…Yeah, I do remember him" Mabel replied. "…He was your boyfriend a few years back, wasn't he? Before Tom Nook even returned from the city"

"That's right, Mabel" Sable confirmed. "Me and Mark were in a relationship that lasted about 18 months or so"

"You haven't been thinking about…that _incident_, right?" Mabel asked.

"I have been a little" Sable replied, her expression still and focused on the floorboards.

"Aw, sis…" Mabel sighed, putting an arm around her sister. "You shouldn't be so hurt by what happened in the past. What's done is done and you have a far better boyfriend in Tom Nook now. He'd never lead you down that dark road the same way Mark did"

Sable sighed again; Mabel realized that something else was on her sister's mind.

"…That's not the problem" Sable revealed.

"Huh?" Mabel hummed. "Then what is?"

"…The reason I'm so down is because…that customer who upset me a couple of days back…that was Mark"

Mabel gasped. "No way!" she huffed. "He came back?"

Sable wasn't crying, she felt somewhat cold and empty inside as she recalled seeing him again.

"He came walking into the shop and confronted me" Sable explained. "You didn't see any of this because you were upstairs at the time. I also got a call from him last night, when I asked for privacy"

Mabel started to get angry at the thought of Mark. She clenched her fists as she too looked down to the floor.

"I thought he went to jail…" she said quietly, gritting her teeth slightly. "How is he here?"

"He must have gotten out of prison a little early" Sable hummed, sighing again. "He's working as a lumberjack now; he's got some sort of placement chopping trees near here for two weeks. He wants me to get back together with him"

"What an idiot" Mabel spat. "If he thinks you're going to go back with him and live that terrible life again, then he must be crazy"

"But Mabel, you don't understand!" Sable snapped suddenly, looking towards her sister. Mabel jumped in surprise, and the two were looking right at each other, wide eyed, one irritated and the other frightened. Sable hushed her tone slightly as she continued. "The things that he knows about me…and the things that happened between us…I've got the feeling that he's going to control me with that information. You know how much I can't bear to tell anyone about…well, **anything** that has to do with me and him"

"But you can't just let him blackmail you like this!" Mabel argued back. "The police have to get involved! Sign a restraining order or something!"

"Mabel, I don't want to make a noise about this!" Sable continued. "If Tom were to find out about this…I think even the fact that I was in a previous relationship whilst he was in the city would surely…tear him apart inside…"

Sable's tone diminished to a mere whimper as she pictured her relationship with Tom Nook in jeopardy. Her relationship with Mark was the only secret that she had kept from him; every detail was omitted, as if he had never existed.

"…Look, if his placement lasts two weeks, then that's three days gone already…" Mabel calculated, waving her hands to emphasize her point "You only have to wait eleven days, ten tomorrow. He'll be out of your skin then…hopefully, for good. You can calmly tell Tom Nook about it afterwards; I'm _sure_ he'll understand"

Sable put her head in her hands. She was clearly upset, but continued talking.

"No" she said. "I can't let Tom Nook know about Mark. I'm too afraid to face up to what he'll have to say to me…"

"I don't know what else you can do, sis" Mabel submitted, shuffling a little closer to Sable, hugging her with her arm.

"There will be a way out of this, I'm sure of it" Sable said. "Whether I need to just face the facts or let it slide, there will be a way through this mess. Until then, I want you to be constantly supporting me, okay?"

"Of course" Mabel replied. "You can count on me"

"Don't tell a soul about Mark" Sable instructed, looking up to her sister again. "If you see him, ignore him. If he talks to you, dismiss him as much as you can. Don't let him do a thing, even if he threatens me. If he tries to hurt you, inform the police. And most importantly, **nobody **is to know any single detail about me and Mark's relationship. Not even Tom. Okay?" she asked. Mabel was in disagreement about keeping quiet, but at the end of the day, her sister was older than her. Maybe this was the right way through, perhaps Mabel's younger age made her feel that a more drastic form of action should have been taken. Reluctant, she nodded, promising to keep her mouth shut. The two then retired to bed, both uneasy about what the following day would bring. Sable prayed that the next ten days would just sift away without notice, but she knew that the sands could not blow away without a sandstorm.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It was during the following morning of business at 9:30 am that the phone started to ring. There were no customers present within the store at the time of the phone call, prompting both Sable and Mabel to turn towards its chime.

"I'd better answer that" Sable said, shutting off her sewing machine to walk to the phone. She was still feeling glum, but sewing always made her feel better. Her mood was now mixed, and was about to dip once more. Upon picking up the phone, Mabel watched her sister's face with intent.

"Hello, Able Sisters store, how can I help you?" Sable asked. Mabel felt her heart seize as she saw her sister's pretty face sink into a depression. She knew exactly who was on the phone.

"Give me a second" she replied, putting her hand to the receiver. Morosely, she nodded her head, confirming the man on the other side of the phone. Detaching the receiver (it was a wireless phone they had), she took it upstairs. Once safely in her room with all doors closed, she cleared her voice.

"What do you want, Mark?" Sable said, her voice spiked with anger.

"I want to talk about your boyfriend" Mark said bluntly. "Who is he?"

"Why do you want to know?" Sable retorted.

"Because _as_ your previous love, I should be entitled to know who has taken my sweet lady's arm in my place, yeah?" Mark explained, a hint of annoyance floating in his voice.

"I….I don't feel I should tell you" Sable decided. "Squandering his trust like this…it just isn't right"

"So…you're not going to tell me?" Mark asked.

"No" Sable replied defiantly. There was a large sigh on the other side of the receiver.

"Sabe, have you _completely _forgotten?" Mark asked strongly. "I know a lot of things about you babe, and when I mean a lot, I mean **a lot**"

"You…you can't blackmail me like this!" Sable yelled suddenly. "I-I'll have the police on you, just like that!"

"You won't be able to record this conversation: I had one of the technicians at the lumberjack firm, who is also my friend, to tweak my phone accordingly so no calls can be recorded from it. Also, you have no cameras at your shop. Therefore, no proof of blackmail" Mark explained. "Besides, I don't want to know everything, just the identity of the man you're dating"

"…Why…*sniff*…why are you doing this to me?" Sable sobbed, breaking out into tears.

"Because I love you, Sabe" Mark said in a hushed voice.

"Well, I don't love you!" Sable shouted back, unawares that there might have been a customer downstairs. "Just leave me alone, okay? Find someone else to bother!"

"Not until I know who you're in a relationship with" Mark demanded. "Don't push me"

Sable wiped her tears in defeat; there was no way out of this. If she hung up on him or refused his request, he would surely tear her reputation to pieces. Her life would never be the same again.

"…His name is Tom Nook" she whimpered in loss.

"Tom Nook?" Mark hummed. "Haven't heard of him"

Sable felt a little relief bubble inside of her; thank the heavens he didn't know. But before she could hang up…

"Wait!" Mark yelped suddenly. "Nook…where have I heard that before? It sounds…really familiar…"

Sable's heart started to beat in fear; how did he recognize the name? Had he entered Nookington's at some point?

"That shop I bought the axe in…"

Yep. He had been.

"It was called Nookington's, right?" Mark asked.

Sable didn't answer. She could tell by the sounds of his sharp breathing that he had figured out who Tom Nook was.

"…No, not him!" Mark exclaimed. "Please, _please_ don't tell me you're in a relationship with that raccoon!"

"I am, Mark, I am!" Sable revealed loudly.

"But…how can he be better for you than I am?" Mark asked, almost laughing at the image of Sable and Tom Nook.

"He was my first true love Mark…" Sable explained. "We grew up together, and he left for the city after high school"

"Because he doesn't truly love you, isn't it?" Mark insinuated.

"You don't know a thing" Sable spat.

"Well, thanks babe, for telling me about him" Mark thanked. "Still, you will be back with me. I just can't go on without you, you know that?"

"Stop trying to be sweet, Mark" Sable cursed. "You've been pathetic enough as it is, chasing me and stalking me like this. Why can't you just let it go? I _know _that…well, that incident happened between us…but you've proven to me that we're just not a good match for each other. You ended up in jail, for Pete's sake!"

There was another silence. Sable started to fear a little; the last time Mark had fallen into a silence, he had managed to say something to bring Sable down again from her small victory. She could hear an impatient silence on the other side of the receiver, something bad was about to happen, she thought.

"…Sable, I didn't really want to say this, but…" Mark grunted. "…it looks like I have remind you, _again_. What do you think Tom boy will do when he hears about that little incident, hm?"

Sable knew this was coming. She silently cursed to herself, trying to hold back her tears.

"This…this isn't fair" she stuttered, trying to get some sense into Mark. But he wouldn't have any of it.

"I miss you and I want you back" Mark stated. "I'm gonna give you until the end of the week; that's three days; to leave Tom and come back to me"

"No!" Sable yelled. "I won't leave him for you! You're…what do you hope to gain, anyway? I'll never love you; you'd never get the love that you want! Face it, we're through, and always will be!"

Suddenly, Sable clicked onto a new sound through the receiver. It was the sound of chuckling, which quickly broke into a suppressed laughter. It was absolutely confusing; what was so funny about being rejected?

After his laughing had ceased, Mark continued to talk.

"Oh, Sable, that was funny" he said, holding his laughter back. "It's not just your love that I want. It's _you_ as well. Love's only a fragment of it"

The insinuation turned Sable sickly within. She could only manage a stutter.

"Y-You…you s-s-sick, cruel…." she uttered.

"Three days, today included" Mark stated once more, hitting the point home. "Leave Tom Nook and come to me. If you haven't done that by the three days, then I'll just go on ahead and exercise my freedom of speech. Or even better, **you **can tell him all the ins and outs of our past. As a reward, I'll be nicer to you. How about that?" he asked deviously. He didn't get an answer, for Sable disconnected the call at once, throwing the receiver against the wall and collapsing onto her bed in tears. At once, the sound of rushing came from below, and Mabel burst into the room, panicking.

"What was that noise?" she yelled as she rushed into the room. She caught sight of Sable and gasped, quickly moving to her side and gently hoisting her crying sister into her arms.

"Sable, oh Sable, what is he doing to you?" Mabel groaned in despair as she looked in her sister's eyes. She quickly dried them, trying her best to console her sister. Her eyes were red and her sobbing was erratic.

"M-Mabel…" she stuttered between sobs. "He…h-he's got me"

"No" Mabel consoled, rubbing her sister's arms. "There's no such thing"

"B-But…" Sable continued. "…He's given me three days to leave Tom…or otherwise he's going to tell him all about the things we've done…including _that_…"

"Surely he can't do that to you?" Mabel argued, trying her best to lift her broken sister's spirits. "We should call the police on this"

"It won't work…" Sable sighed.

"But why?" Mabel continued, becoming exasperated.

"He told me…I had no evidence"

"You mean you can't record the conversation?" Mabel asked in disbelief. "I know our phone can't do that, but can his?"

"He tampered with it so it wouldn't work" Sable explained, slowly calming down "He also mentioned the lack of cameras in the area. He's really thought it out"

"That creep" Mabel spat. "I don't get it, either. Why is he doing this to try and win you back? It's not as you've got no choice but to re enter a relationship with him. If he thinks that, then he's a complete idiot!"

"I-I know…" Sable uttered. "He's…a bit of an emotional sadist. I think he's more into the idea of hurting me as much as possible rather than actually being in a relationship with me. He really hates my guts because of what happened. Even though I'd like to think it was his fault, he won't let me believe that"

"He's just emotionally torturing you while he can" Mabel suggested. "He doesn't love you at all. He just loves watching you cry"

"I'm…I'm going to have to talk with Tom Nook" Sable decided.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Mabel asked, holding her sister's shoulders reassuringly. Sable nodded her head slowly, drying her eyes.

"I have to" she said firmly. "It's the only way"

"Are you going to tell him…everything?" Mabel asked.

"…No" Sable replied. "Only the relationship. He doesn't need to know the details…yet. Maybe some day, when I'm old and grey, I'll tell him. But not now. Not when he's doing well with his life after such a hard time"

Mabel stood up from the bed, rubbing Sable's hand softly.

"I'll go downstairs and tend to the store. You can stay up here and rest if you want to" she asked.

"I'll be down in a minute" Sable replied quickly. "Let…let me just get my bearings back together"

Mabel nodded in response, casting one more glance at Sable before moving back downstairs to continue with business. It would be a full half an hour before Sable would join her sister downstairs, shivering with the impending task laid upon her. She decided to talk to Tom Nook the following day, as soon as their stores closed…


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The waves licked gently against her feet, stroking them with a caress that she hadn't felt in a long while. She hadn't seen Tom Nook since revealing to him about her problem. It was quite strange, perhaps his absence has been the source of her depression, she thought. Maybe if she saw him again, she would feel better. The love they had for each other was still strong; this was ascertained in their phone call earlier in the day. Arranging to meet up by the sea at ten thirty wasn't as arduous a task as Sable had imagined. Tom's voice was still full of the warmth and understanding that she loved about him; still it bothered her that her stress had caused her to forget about seeing him. It felt as if there was so much to resolve in the small time they had put aside for each other. Her heart beat quickly; she could sense footsteps behind her. He had arrived.

Turning around, she saw the man of her dreams once again. Still dressed in his business suit stood Tom Nook, just as handsome. It felt like years since she had last seen him; the past few days had been agonizing and cruel to her.

They embraced.

"We haven't been in contact for some time, I was starting to get really worried" Tom Nook said, holding his love around the waist, his head rested against her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Tom" Sable whispered back. "So much has been happening to me lately"

He let go of her and sat down on the sand, undoing his tie. He let the two ends hang on his neck as he unbuttoned the top of his shirt. He had no mind for appearance now; he let the wet sand dirty his trousers. Sable sat down next to him; they sat close. How was she going to tell him?

"Are we going to talk about…that thing?" Tom asked. "The thing that made you so upset back at my place?"

"Y-yes, we are" Sable revealed, frightened of what the future held. "Tom, I'm scared stiff about this. I don't know how you're going to react"

She felt him take her hand and rub it softly with his own.

"I suppose we both have to know the truth" Tom said quietly, moving his head only slightly towards Sable. "I've been really worried as well. As much as I've tried to keep my composure…" His voice started to crack with desperation. "I don't think I can control myself for much longer. If there was a better time to know about your secret, it would be now"

Sable looked across to Tom Nook to meet his fearful gaze. It was quite sad to see; this was the first rock in their relationship, and neither knew how big it was going to be either. For the first time since being together, they felt scared of what was to come.

"Tom…" she said quietly, looking back out towards the sea. "…You spent many years in the city. I remember the day you left, when I came up to the platform and gave you the biggest hug of my life…I had the feeling that what we had between us was more than just friendship"

Tom watched her as she recounted her story, doing his best to be patient. It was working; Sable felt as if the floor was hers. She continued without hesitation, trying to build up to her revelation as well as she could.

"I remember the amount of contact we had, even when you were away" she continued, sighing. A slight smile escaped her as she though of the good old days. Even without his presence, the letters and presents they sent forged fond memories in her mind. "All the stuff we sent each other. I remember thinking that despite your absence, I was in peace…until you stopped sending letters" she explained.

"My business declined" Tom said quietly, fully aware of the story's damp course. "It was about…two years from that day before I was forced to file for bankruptcy. Another three months and I'd be back here" he explained.

"Tom…did you know how heartbroken I was when you stopped sending letters to me?" she explained, her gaze still fixed on the waves. "I thought…that you had stopped caring about me"

"No, it was nothing like that" Tom said quietly, putting an arm around Sable. "You wouldn't have known I was in decline at that moment anyway. I can understand how you feel, however we have gotten over that now, haven't we?" he asked.

"We have" Sable replied, closing her eyes. Her voice was soft spoken and wistful, but soon it become strained. "Tom, don't let anybody else tell you different. I love you, and I can only hope that what I say won't change a thing. After all, my secret…regards the past"

She felt his grip tighten slightly, as if to absorb the shock of what was to come. The shaking of his hand easily telegraphed his nerves; his breathing was a lot shallower.

"Go on…tell me" he said, mustering all his force.

"Tom…" Sable sighed her head drooping, almost in shame. "When you stopped sending me letters…I dated another man, named Mark"

Her heart almost broke as his arm jolted slightly. It felt terrible; it felt as if she'd taken a knife to her beloved's heart, to an innocent man. She cursed Mark to the ends of the earth for what she had just said. "I hope you're happy, Mark" she thought bitterly.

Nothing was more important to her than Tom Nook at that moment; it pained her to have to look up and examine his expression. It was rather blank.

"…Tom?" she asked, scared of how he felt. "…Tom, are you okay?"

Tom Nook slowly looked down towards Sable, his free arm dropping onto the sand.

"I…I'm fine" he said quietly, his eyes dropping as well. Sable didn't feel like crying, but her sense of pity had grown huge. She could tell the life had just been sucked out of Tom Nook, as if there were no energy inside to hold him up.

"I…"

"Sable, he's not…" Tom began to ask. Sable anticipated the question right away.

"No, Tom" she replied quickly. "He's not a part of my life anymore. You are"

Tom Nook started to stand up slowly, like a machine. Sable, worried for his well-being, stood up with him, trying to help him. He seemed somewhat unresponsive, not really reacting to what was happening around him. Sable tried to understand how he felt, but the more his gaze suddenly started to avoid hers, to worse she felt.

"Tom, please don't tell me you're mad" she asked. He gave no answer, and as soon as he brushed the sand from his trousers, he turned on his heels and started to walk. Sable begun to follow him, asking him questions, trying to get him to say something else. But no, he said nothing more to her. After a short while, Sable gave up in frustration, crying her eyes out as her one true love walked away from her into the darkness. It tore her to see such a good thing vanish into the night, and it was all Mark's fault.

As soon as she arrived back at the Able Sister's store, she stomped right past Mabel's attempts to console her and right to the phone. She dialed the dreaded number, fuelled only by her anger and rage. There was an answer.

"Hello?" the hoarse voice asked.

"You…bastard!" she yelled. She hushed her tone into a threatening growl. "I hope you're happy, I hope you're fucking well _satisfied_ with what you've caused"

"You…told him?" he asked, a twinge of glee in his voice.

"He knows we had a relationship, nothing else" Sable spat. "Just the fact itself was enough to tear his heart out; _he won't speak to me_, and it's all your fucking fault!" she yelled.

"Now just calm down" Mark ordered. "Thanks for doing what I told you. Now, I'll pop over the shop tomorrow; we can visit my log cabin up north and…"

"Shut your goddamn mouth, you sadistic bastard!" Sable yelled, silencing Mark at once. Finally, she felt truly powerful and in control. Gritting her teeth, she continued to seethe out her hatred. "What kind of idiot do you take me for, Mark? You may have potentially shattered the only love I **really** had, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be some petty little bitch for you! I'll never stay with you, I never want to see you again and I hope you choke to death before you infest some other innocent woman's life with your…your _lechery_!" she yelled. She heard Mark take a breath to try and gain control again, but she wasn't going to let him win any more fights. With all her power, she slammed the phone down on the receiver, silencing Mark. Once, and hopefully, for all.

Within seconds she was crying again, knelt against her bed with her head in her hands, moist with tears. She didn't care for the image she was displaying. She didn't care if she was a fully mature woman who was crying like a child. Her communication with Tom Nook had gone silent at the beach, just like it did when he was in the city. Sable wasn't ready to return to her previous life. She wanted Tom nook to stay with her; but how could he after what she had just said? Tom Nook's pride was like glass and Sable had just picked it up and thrown it against the ground, smashing it into fragments, possibly never to be fully restored. Despite the consolation from her sister, Sable continued to cry well into the night, before her severe exhaustion threw her into a fitful sleep, never to wake up happy again.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Sable…"

"…Ngh…"

"Sable, wake up. It's ten in the morning"

"Mabel…"

"Are you feeling okay? Do you want me to make you a cup of coffee?"

"Mabel…it's all over…"

"Don't be silly. Nothing's over"

"But…but I told him about Mark…just the fact he existed was enough to turn him off"

"You're overreacting. If he wanted to leave you because of that, then he'd be pretty petty to do so. You'd find better in someone else"

"…Do you think Tom's capable of doing that?"

"No, he's just a bit shocked, that's all. The news was pretty big, but I'm sure he'll get over it"

"I-I love him, Mabel. Last night was the first time I said it to him. I doubt he'll ever return the feeling"

"Tee hee! You're treating your relationship like a sunken ship! How romantic!"

"This isn't funny, Mabel. Why are you taking this so lightly? And who's watching the shop?"

"You're supposed to be, but you're being a sleepyhead, for a change"

"Mabel…ah, see, now I'm smiling. How do you do it?"

"Because I'm your sis, that's why!"

"Why are you so happy today? Considering what happened yesterday, you're unusually…gleeful"

"So are you"

"Me? I'm generally confused; I'm all tuckered out from last night. I bet the day will get worse as I gain more energy to cry with"

"That…won't be happening"

"Okay, stop hiding things, Mabel. Tell me, what's happening?"

"…I got a call from Tom Nook this morning. He wants to see you as soon as you can"

She could recall the strange conversation word for word. Ever since her heartbreak the previous night, she had suffered a terrible night's sleep, which left her empty and emotionless the following morning. Mabel was a godsend to her now; the news she had delivered had filled her with strength. She _knew_ it wasn't going to be something bad; why would Mabel be in such a happy mood if she were going to be the bearer of bad news? However, Sable still felt suspense as she walked up to the automatic doors of Nookington's. What was Tom Nook going to say?

Entering, she found the shop to be completely deserted. No Timmy or Tommy; the hairdresser's was empty (again) and most importantly, no Tom Nook. Walking in deeper, the doors closed behind her, trapping her within the creepy supermarket.

"Tom?" she called, her voice echoing down the aisles of merchandise. "Tom?"

No response. Sable started to get a little scared; something strange was afoot. She no longer felt frightened by the potential bad news, only frightened by the scary atmosphere that slowly enveloped her. Taking a few steps deeper, she turned her head down one of the aisles, when she got a surprise.

There was something on the floor. Something colorful, conical. Her intrigue was piqued; she proceeded towards the item. Upon closer inspection, she found that they were flowers, all neatly arranged in a basket. They smelt beautiful and their colors were dazzling. It was the perfect mantelpiece decoration. Walking right up to it, she knelt down, noticing a small card attached to the wicker basket handle. Manipulating it with her hand, she read the cursive writing inside: "_To my beloved"_

"Surprise"

Sable had the living daylights scared out of her by the voice. Jumping out of her skin, she quickly scrambled to her feet, almost falling over, as she cast her gaze towards the source of the voice.

It was Tom Nook, stood there with his hands behind his back, a small grin across his face.

"…Tom!" Sable exclaimed in surprise.

"Did you like the flowers?" he asked, stepping towards her playfully. Sable looked back down towards the flowers before lifting the basket up.

"These…th-they're for me?" she asked, bewildered. She did not expect this whatsoever; her previous fears melted away at once as she recognized her fortune. Looking at the flowers again, she couldn't help but start to smile again.

Tom Nook quickly maneuvered his way to Sable in a dancing manner, stepping delicately and smoothly towards her, arms outstretched. He nabbed the basket and placed it down on the floor before taking Sable into his arms, looking deeply into her eyes. Sable was still struggling to understand; he was acting completely different to the previous night.

"Tom, why are you being so nice to me?" Sable asked, suppressing a chuckle of joy. Tom sniggered a little himself.

"Why, isn't it natural for two people in love to act accordingly?" he explained. The smile of Sable's face grew.

"B-But…last night" she pointed out, hoping that Tom Nook hadn't forgotten. Tom nook blinked and his eyes half opened, slightly seductively, full of understanding.

"Listen Sable" he explained, adorning a little smirk of his own. "I was thinking really hard about what you said last night. I thought about this Mark guy, and I thought about my time in the city"

"Weren't you upset about it?" Sable asked. Tom Nook rolled his eyes slightly in thought.

"Maybe at the time" he revealed. "But that's natural. You can't just treat big news like any old business. It was a natural reaction; I was stunned. But then I realized…" His face moved closer to hers. "…It didn't matter. What matters is that I have you, and you have me"

"I…have you…" Sable whispered dreamily in disbelief. This was why she loved Tom Nook; the man had such a way with patience.

"Sable…you don't have to worry about it anymore" he said reassuringly. "I'm okay now. I'm ready to continue our relationship with this new knowledge in hand. There's no need to tell me about Mark; I can live with the fact alone that he was your boyfriend whilst I was in the city. What I want to know is…are you ready to continue?" he asked.

Unable to contain her joy any longer, Sable threw her arms across Tom Nook and held him as tightly as possible.

"Yes, oh, yes Tom!" she squeaked in glee. "Of course I'm ready! I'll always be ready!" Tom Nook was taken by surprise, nearly falling over onto his back as Sable took him in. Containing her glee in his arms, he managed to hold her and watch as she calmed down. More than ever her beauty shone out to him and their gazes met once again.

"Oh, Tom…" she said quietly. "…You're a saint, you know that?"

"Heh heh, well I try" Tom Nook replied. "Say, how about dinner at my place tonight? I got this great new recipe that I'm dying to try out"

Sable sighed in contentment, bringing her face closer to his.

"Of course I will…" she whispered, leaning in for a kiss.

At that very moment, Tom Nook heard the automatic doors opening. Pulling away, the two realized that they had jobs to be getting on with.

"I'd better tend to this customer" Tom Nook explained. "We'll catch up later tonight"

The two walked out of the aisle, with Tom Nook ready to greet his customer. He recognized the man who had walked in, with his black boots, buttoned shirt and hairy chest, all topped off with a powerful physique.

"Oh, hello again!" Tom Nook greeted. "Need a new axe?"

The man looked down towards Tom Nook with an angry, hate filled expression. Confused, Tom Nook watched the man's gaze turn to Sable. Looking back, he noticed Sable's shocked expression. Thinking quickly, he turned back to the large man, studying his appearance. It then clicked in his mind, a crack in his brain that both hurt and bewildered him, reducing his demeanor to a blank expression.

The man was Mark.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The familiar clomping sound of his boots accompanied Mark as he stomped into the shop, the doors closing silently behind him. His eyes fell upon Tom Nook with disdain.

"So **you're **the guy whose been dating my Sable, eh?" he sneered, clenching his fists. At once, Sable ran up to Tom Nook and held him tightly.

"Just leave us alone!" she yelled.

"Hey, what's your problem, hm?" Tom Nook spat, angered that the mere presence of this man would upset Sable.

"My problem?" mark asked sarcastically. "**My **problem? My problem is that my baby's hooked up with some convenient store loser!"

Tom Nook gritted his teeth, trying not to lose his temper. Sable, on the other hand, was firing on all guns.

"I'm not your baby!" she yelled. "I never will be; just go away!"

"Why do you have to come here and cause trouble?" Tom Nook asked as calmly as he could. "Can't you see that she's happy with me now? Just let her go and find someone else to be with, okay?" he asked.

Mark started to laugh, holding his chest as he guffawed at Tom. His gravelly voice was erupting in a wave of hooting and howling as he struggled to control his composure. Suddenly, he started to cough, killing his joy instantly as he turned back into his nasty self.

"Are you serious?" he remarked after his coughing fit ended, making his voice even more rough. "I'm not leaving until I get retribution for what your little _bitch_ did to me!"

"Don't call her that!" Tom Nook yelled, stamping his foot. "We don't want any trouble, just get out!"

"She landed me in jail!" Mark yelled. "She ruined my life, and now I'm going to ruin hers!"

Tom Nook's anger gave away to confusion. He looked to Sable, who was still seething angrily at Mark.

"You can't blame what happened on me!" she argued, exasperated. "Everything was **your** fault! You got yourself landed in jail, I did nothing at all! _I_ was the victim!"

"Wait, wait!" Tom Nook yelled suddenly, silencing Sable. As she looked at him, he let go of her. "What are the two of you talking about?"

Sable, figuring out what she had just done, slapped her hands to her mouth in the vain attempt to save the words she had said from reaching Tom's ears. But it was too late, far too late. Mark caught on to what had happened and started to snigger.

"She didn't tell you, did she?" he growled, a sneer appearing his face. Tom Nook turned to face him, still angry.

"This isn't making sense anymore" he growled. "Somebody clear this up for me; what are you talking about?"

"No Mark…" Sable begged suddenly. But Mark had everything the way he wanted it.

"…I was hoping this would happen" Mark said. "Now I can finally break you apart myself. You see, me and Sable have…quite a history"

"Mark, how can you do this?" Sable spat. "Have…have a heart, will you?"

"Shut up!" Mark snapped. "Back in the day…we were, as you'd say, _on fire_" Mark reveled in the disgusted face that started to form on Tom Nook's face. "We did _everything_ in the short time we were together. It was only inevitable that it would happen to her"

"What, what?" Tom Nook yelled. "Get to the point!"

"No!" Sable yelled.

Mark folded his arms, huffing a little.

"Well, it was inevitable that she would get pregnant" he revealed. "We conceived twins"

Tom Nook felt a shock go through his body as Mark spoke the one word he didn't expect. It almost flew over his head, but he had caught onto it in time. He wished he hadn't.

"…W-what…" Tom Nook stuttered. Darting his sight towards Sable, he could see that she was in equal shock. A devastated look was draped across her face; she hid her face in her hands. Looking back at Mark, he shook his head slowly. "Did…d-did you just say…"

"That's right, lover boy" Mark spat. "I got your little girlfriend pregnant with twins. But wait; that's not the end of the story"

Tom Nook was frozen on the spot. He had lost all feeling apart of his dizzying head and his aching heart. He felt extremely ill; he watched as his ideologies of the world started to crumble.

"I was thrilled at the idea of being a dad, but Sable wasn't" Mark continued, regardless. He was the only one of the three who seemed to be okay. Sickeningly enough, one could say he took joy in revealing this to Tom Nook, who stood speechless, shocked, and beyond belief.

"So, do you want to know what happened next?" Mark growled. "Well, I'll tell you! Our little princess here was so unhappy at the fact she had to become a mother…she sought a way out"

"Don't listen to him, Tom!" Sable blurted suddenly, taking his arm. "Please, he's not telling the truth!"

"You can already see that she's desperate to cover up her dirty little secret" Mark explained, raising a finger to point at her. "She's so ashamed, she'll even lie to you to cover the truth! And the truth was…she didn't want the baby"

Tom Nook felt his head start to ache. He knew what was coming; he held his head to try and keep the agony at bay. It was too much to bear. But Mark was relentless; prepared to make the next five seconds the worst five seconds of Tom Nook's life.

"She didn't want the baby, so she went ahead and had an abortion" he said.

That was it. The word Tom Nook dreaded. The tugging and pleading on his arm came to a sudden stop. He felt Sable let go of his arm; there was no feeling coming to him whatsoever. Everything just stopped. Tears started to come to his eyes like a natural reaction; he had completely lost control of his body. His heart started to beat throbbingly inside his throat, with each heartbeat urging his tears forward, blurring his vision. It felt like he was choking; the air passed through him unconsciously. The tears started to leak down his cheeks, and it was a good while before Tom Nook summoned the inner strength to move his head towards Sable.

There were tears flowing from her eyes as well. Everything felt shattered around them. Just when they thought everything was going to be okay, it had happened. His eyes sunk; they fell upon the bouquet of flowers that had been dropped on the floor. Tom Nook remembered how much time he had spent arranging the flowers neatly; they were now strewn across the floor, withering, dying away. His eyes closed, it was all over, he thought.

"That's…th-that's not true…" Sable uttered. Tom Nook listened intently to the words she spoke, were these truly the words of a liar? Had he been deceived from the very beginning?

"There you have it" Mark grumbled. "Now you know"

Instantly, Sable turned on her heels and ran away. Tom Nook opened his eyes and lifted his head suddenly, the stillness shattering. He could hear Sable's hells tapping against the floor as she sprinted out of the shop as quickly as she could, leaving a broken Tom Nook staring at the floor.

"Well, I think you deserved to know the truth" Mark mumbled. Even he felt slightly bad at what happened in front of him. He had just unleashed the devastating power he possessed and was shocked by the result. He watched as Tom Nook started to shiver with fury. His fists clenched.

"Get out" he snarled, his head still hunched.

"I…I need another axe" Mark said, suddenly becoming feeble.

"You…you want an axe?" Tom Nook asked calmly. Suddenly, he released his rage, throwing his arm out and grabbing the axe on the display. Pulling it into his arms, he moved towards Mark, grasping the axe. "You want an axe? Fine! You can have the axe, **right in your fucking spine**!" he screamed, raising the axe. Mark gasped and started to retreat, running out of the store. Tom Nook watched as Mark ran away from the store, occasionally turning his head back to look. All his power had left him now.

With speed, Tom Nook started to feel his instincts working. The moment that Mark had left his sight, he put the axe back on display and hurriedly put on his coat. He could afford to lose one day of business, considering the circumstances. Rushing to put his coat on, he grabbed his keys and quickly put it into the main electrical outlet, shutting down all the lights. He then put the security system on before locking the store from outside. Once everything had been locked, he made a straight dash for the Able Sisters store.

Mabel was busy worrying herself about her elder sister, who had burst into the store crying. Her concerns were growing about how she was going to help Sable through her hard time. Mabel had never seen her in such a foul mood before, and as a result, she became irritable with the world for treating her sister so. As she was busy trying to set things straight with her mind, the door opened. Tom Nook came almost bursting in, panting for breath.

"Mabel, where's your sister?" he asked, panting for breath.

"Upstairs" Mabel replied with a frown. "Sorry, but you can't see her"

"Why?" Tom Nook asked, waving his hands in frustration. "I have to talk to her!"

"Listen, Tom!" Mabel yelled suddenly. "Sable told me everything that happened. The last thing she needs right now is you barking in her ears about 'the truth', or whatever. She's told me specifically not to let anyone go upstairs to see her, and that also means _you_" she asserted. Tom Nook wiped his eyes in defeat, scratching the dried up tears from his face. The tracks of matted fur still remained from where his tears trickled.

"Please…" he begged, putting his hands together. Mabel watched as Tom Nook's eyes begun to water in desperation. "Please, I just want to know the truth" Mabel started to feel guilty for snapping at the desperate man in front of her. She discovered the anguish in his eyes and his voice; he must have gone through just as hard a time.

"Tom…I'm sorry" Mabel apologized. "I've been really insensitive. Sable really needs to be by herself for the time. I'm sorry" she said calmly.

"Then…could you tell me?" Tom Nook asked. "You must know, surely?"

Mabel knew everything, but she remembered her sister's words.

"No, Tom, I can't tell you" she explained. "I…I can't betray my sister's privacy. Please, you have to understand"

But Tom Nook started to break down in front of Mabel, hiding his crying face with his forearm. It was painful to watch a man cry, especially Tom Nook, whose attitudes to life and very demeanor had changed since he started his relationship with Sable. Mabel herself started to feel guilty at what she was doing to Tom Nook. Feeling desperate, she decided there was only one thing to do.

"…Go and talk to Tortimer" she said suddenly. Her words caused Tom Nook's sobbing to cease. His head darted up like a deer spotting prey; his teary eyes opened widely.

"…Tortimer?" he asked, a hint of skepticism trailing in his voice.

"…He knows everything you need to know, Tom" Mabel explained. "Go and see him. I'll leave a message on your phone at home to let you know how Sable is doing, okay?" she asked.

Tom Nook felt like giving Mabel a massive hug, but he struggled himself to remain composed. Drying his eyes quickly, he cleared his throat.

"Thank you, Mabel" he said with a quivering voice. Mabel bent her head slightly and smirked a little, her eyebrows rising.

"Take care of yourself, Tom" she said, putting her hands together. "…Be strong. For all of us, especially Sable. She needs the strength"

Tom Nook finished drying his eyes on the wet sleeves of his jacket and nodded, putting a bit of strength in his nod.

"I will" he said, his voice returning to normal. "Thank you" And with that, he turned around and hurriedly left the store, eagerly pursuing the truth. Glad that he wasn't going to be deceived any further, Tom Nook marched to the town office as the rain started to fall violently. A heavy wind picked up, but nothing would deter Tom Nook's feverish pace as he sought to end his pain.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

After a brisk walk and some time to compose himself, Tom Nook walked into the post office, dripping wet. His state instantly caught the attention of Pelly, who was previously busy sorting out the income of mail.

"Oh, Tom!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Did you get caught by the storm?"

Ask a silly question, Tom Nook thought, but he didn't say it. He was already tired from the day's proceedings and only wanted one thing. Trying to look as normal as he could, he cleared his throat.

"Pelly, is Tortimer available?" he asked. Pelly's eyes scrunched at the strange request.

"You…want to speak with Tortimer?" she asked. "What for?"

"It's…well, I don't really want to say here" Tom Nook said quietly, keeping his emotions at bay. Now was not the time to start tearing up again. "I'm seeking a private conversation with him"

"Pelly, is someone calling me?" an elderly voice called from the back of the office. Tom Nook leant to see behind Pelly. He spotted Tortimer waddling his way up to the front of the desk with his walking stick. Tom Nook breathed a sigh of relief; he could only hope now that his request would be granted. A private audience with the mayor was all he needed to make things clear.

"Ah, good day, Tom Nook!" Tortimer said, pausing sometimes in between words to catch a breath. Old age didn't come by itself.

"Mayor Tortimer…" Tom Nook said, as Pelly seemed to step aside.

"What's wrong, young chappie?" Tortimer asked, raising his head to look up at Tom Nook. He wrung his hands together nervously.

"May I speak with you alone for a few moments?" Tom Nook asked quickly. Tortimer registered the request in his head, thinking.

"…Why, what ails you, my boy?" he asked. "Come, come into my office. Let's talk"

Tom Nook sighed in relief. Tortimer wads always a kind soul, even in his old age. As he walked behind the desk, he looked around the area. There were a few pictures of Tortimer, Pelly and Phyllis on the walls, as if the history of the post office was adorned on the walls. Tom Nook had never been behind the desk before; it was a strange experience. It was equally peculiar that Tortimer would have all the knowledge about Sable and Mark, although a second thought about it made perfect sense (he WAS the mayor, after all).

He was led into a small office, where a desk sat on one end beneath a large picture of Tortimer and his extended family. There was a window showing the rain from outside and the desk was laden with trinkets and pictures, much like any office desk. Tortimer shuffled over to his chair and, with effort, sat down at his seat. He gestured for Tom Nook to take the seat at the opposite end of the desk. He sat down, heart still pumping for what was to come.

"So, Tom…" Tortimer begun, scratching his chin. "…What did you want to talk to me about?"

Tom Nook looked down to the floor; he gulped. This was it, he thought. Time to face the music.

"Tortimer…" he said, completely forgetting to address him as 'mayor'. Tortimer didn't seem to notice. "…I wanted to ask you about Sable"

"Sable?" Tortimer asked, tilting his head. "And how is she lately? I haven't had a chat with her in a long time, although I do see her collecting her mail, or sending some of her own. Well, sometimes even…"

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I need you to tell me about…her relationship with Mark" Tom Nook asked. Mark's name was like poison to his lips; he detested the name and the man. As soon as he said his name, Tortimer's rant came to an abrupt end. He stared at Tom Nook for a while, the name lingering in his head.

"Mark…you wanted to know about him?" Tortimer asked. "But why, my boy? He's long gone, he can't do you any harm"

"He came back" Tom said, his spirit empty and hollow. "He came to my store and told me about…well, _things_ that happened between them. I…I wanted to ask you if he was telling me the truth. That, and everything else. Is this possible, Tortimer?" Tom Nook asked, becoming slightly more desperate with every sentence. Tortimer sighed quietly, his face sinking as if he were depressed.

"Tom…are you sure?" he asked. "I **do **happen to know everything. Sable confided in me when she was feeling at her most low, just as their relationship was ending. What I've got to say might hurt you"

"I've heard it" Tom Nook said. The slightest recollection of Mark's words stabbed at him; he felt weak again. But he had to listen. "Please…just tell me everything from the start. My knowledge is filled with so many blanks…I only know the worst of it"

Tortimer shuffled in his seat, making himself comfortable.

"I may as well tell you, then" Tortimer said. "Some years ago, whilst you were still in the city, a man named Mark came to live in the town" he explained. "He was a big, powerful looking man. I can't exactly remember the career he had, but it paid good money. He bought himself a big house by the corner of town. Within days, he met Sable. Sable was quite depressed at the time, if I remember…"

"It was because I stopped sending her letters" Tom Nook explained. "My business was failing and I slumped into a little depression of my own"

"Is that so?" Tortimer remarked. "Hmm…in any case, to everybody's surprise, the two fell in love with each other rather quickly. Their relationship must have lasted about…oh, I'd say fifteen months?" he guessed.

"So…what happened then?" Tom Nook asked.

"…Well, nothing very interesting to you, in all honesty" Tortimer said. "It was about eight months in when something big happened"

"She got pregnant, didn't she?" Tom Nook asked, feeling his stomach churn at the revelation…and its conclusion.

"That's correct" Tortimer confirmed, which hurt Tom even more. "She was with child; two children to be precise. Unfortunately for the poor girl…that was the end of the happiness. There were rumors that Mark had been beating Sable"

Tom Nook jumped in his seat. His fists automatically clenched in anger and his eyes were flaring.

"That bastard…" he growled. "How could he be so nasty?"

"Well, there's plenty of evidence to suggest that he's a sadist" Tortimer explained. "It was a shame Sable hadn't realized that. As soon as she became pregnant, Mark became very volatile. He wanted everything to be the way that he wanted it; anything that didn't agree with him…would bring about his violence. Nobody knows how badly he beat her throughout those six months of her pregnancy, but it wasn't rare for someone to listen to Sable covering up her black eyes with excuses. Tom…she lived in fear towards the end; it was about six months in when…"

"She had the abortion…" Tom Nook uttered in defeat. He hung his head low, unable to think of how he would ever be able to get over such a terrible piece of knowledge.

"…Abortion? What the devil are you talking about; are you quite sane?"

Tom Nook's eyes shot open. No abortion. He felt a surge of panic and excitement rise inside of him, all at once. He looked up at Tortimer, who seemed to have a confused, yet disgusted face looking right back at him.

"You mean…she didn't abort the child?" Tom Nook croaked, his throat welling up. His thoughts were confirmed when he saw Tortimer shake his head slowly. There were no words to describe his thoughts, but he noticed that something was still wrong. If Sable did have the child, he thought, then where was he or she? Living with Mark? Living alone? What seemed to be more complicating was that Tortimer's expression was not one of joy, but one of solemn grief.

"Who told you that?" Tortimer asked, his head hung low in sadness.

"Mark did" Tom Nook replied quickly. Tortimer sighed again, clearing his throat with a loud cough.

"Of course he'd say something awful like that" Tortimer revealed. "Tom…I really didn't want to be the one to tell you this, but you have the right to know. Sable never had an abortion. She miscarried. I'm sorry"

Until that very moment, Tom Nook felt that he had experienced it all in a day. He had managed to overcome the existence of a previous boyfriend to give his own relationship a kick-start, only to be floored with the worst news of his life. And now, just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. Sable had miscarried. Something that was clearly out of her control. All at once, Tom Nook felt all the horrors of his thoughts attack him. Everything that had passed through his mind, the decision to abort, and the world as Sable saw it; everything came to bite him back. Dizzying. He felt faint; grasping the ends of his desk as hard as he could, he clenched his eyes.

"I…" Tom Nook gasped. He had no more tears of his own to cry for that day. His throat was choking up on him, restricting his voice from escaping. All he could manage were whispers and gasps.

"…Not soon after, Mark was arrested" Tortimer continued, feeling the obligation to finish the story. "Blaming Sable for the miscarriage, he attacked her with a knife. She escaped, but not without a terrible gash to her arm; she came to me for help, and we called the police"

The final question that he struggled to ask had just been answered for him. The reason why Mark had been in jail. Now he knew, despite the anguish and the torment, there was nothing that he didn't know. Everything was clear to him now.

That night, he lay in his bed, staring towards the ceiling. What would the morning bring? Tom Nook went through every single possibility that could arise. Sable would be okay. Sable wouldn't be okay. Mark would not come back. Mark would be back. Tom himself might not get out of bed. The relationship was over. The relationship was to continue. He would open his store tomorrow. He'd keep it shut and have the day to himself. He would visit Sable. He would stay at home all day. Sable would still love him. Sable wouldn't love him anymore.

Life wasn't worth living.

Life was worth living.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The phone started to ring by the side of Tom Nook's bed. He was lying in the exact same position for hours: on his back, staring towards the ceiling. No matter how tired he felt, he was unable to drift away into sleep. There were so many questions on his mind, so much that he wanted to ask Sable. It had been a very hard time for everyone; Tom Nook sincerely hoped that this truly was the end of it. His thoughts interrupted by the phone call, he gazed to the clock. It was quarter to five in the morning.

Slowly becoming more and more annoyed by the shrill ring of the phone, he rolled around in his bed, trying to get closer. He reached his arm out for the receiver; it didn't reach. The phone chimed for a fifth time. With all his effort, Tom Nook surged forward, grabbing the receiver. Now lying on his belly, he brought the receiver to his ear.

"…Hello?" he groaned. There was a panicked gasp on the other side of the call.

"Tom, is that you?" the terrified voice cried. The voice was Mabel's. Instantly sensing that something was wrong, Tom Nook quickly got up off of his belly and sat on the side of the bed.

"Mabel, what's wrong?" Tom Nook asked with concern, all previous thoughts suddenly vanishing from his mind.

"T-Tom…Sable's gone" Mabel whimpered.

"Gone?" Tom asked. "Where?" He could hear Mabel crying on the other side of the line; something terrible had happened.

"Tom, she's not in the store or anywhere nearby…" Mabel sobbed. "I found a note by her bed…i-it's…" She couldn't finish the sentence and started to cry profusely again. Tom Nook listened on in fear. Eventually, he heard her continue.

"Her bed's still warm…" Mabel uttered. "T-Tom…she's…I-I think she's in big danger! Please, you have to find her!"

It suddenly clicked in Tom's mind. He didn't even have to know what the note said. It was clear enough to Tom Nook what Sable was trying to do.

Slamming the receiver down on the phone, he shot out of bed, quickly throwing his dressing gown on. He sprinted downstairs, grabbing his keys and coat. Not even bothering to turn on the house electrics, he ran out to the porch and quickly locked the door. Stuffing the keys in his pocket, he started to sprint as quickly as he could, not paying any attention to the heaving rain that threw itself down. Running down the path, his mind quickly filled with the terrible thoughts that had plagued him so badly the past few days. The sky was dark and cloudy; the calm winds did not stop the relentlessness of the rain. Not used to such strenuous exercise, Tom Nook started to feel his legs buckling slightly in pain, but he knew he couldn't fall. Sable needed him now. He dreaded to think what would happen if he were a second too late.

Eventually, he reached town. At once, he ran towards the direction of the Able Sisters store. His heart racing; Tom Nook took the path by the beach in order to reach the store. The store appeared in sight, Tom Nook was tempted to yell out Sable's name in the vain hope that she would answer.

He got to the door, his legs throbbing, and knocked it violently. Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed the door handle and threw the door open. As soon as he entered, he saw Mable, who was in her pajamas, crying. Upon catching sight of her, Tom Nook gave her a quick, assuring embrace. Nothing in the past seemed to matter to him then, he was there to help. Separating from Mabel, he kept his hands on her shoulders.

"Mabel, calm down" he said steadfastly. "I'm here now, compose yourself" His words seemed to have little effect, so her moved onto the important matters. "Mabel, I want you to give me the letter Sable left"

He feared the worst. Watching as Mable pulled out a neatly folded piece of lined A4 paper, scrunched slightly due to Mabel's pocket, he saw the writing through the material. His stomach sunk; was this truly happening to him? Had Sable really gone this far?

"This is it" Mabel sobbed, rubbing her moist, reddened eyes. Tom Nook took the paper with his nerve-ridden hand, shaking like a leaf. He couldn't bear to open it with his normal wits; steeling himself, he started to unfold the paper.

The amount of writing was surprisingly short, and as soon as Tom Nook started to read it aloud, a different scenario was coming to mind. It read:

"_5:15, The angels have gone. I'm out of here, forever"_

His hand started to lower as he looked back towards Mabel. As he was reading, Mabel had started to talk to herself in desperation. His ears automatically tuned in to what she was saying as his eyes blurred:

"Oh, I can't believe she's just gone, where is she? All her stuff, her pictures and her sewing machine, they're all gone too…"

It was puzzling, but Tom Nook started to make sense of what was happening. He shot a gaze to Sable's work-desk; the sewing machine had indeed vanished, along with the many rolls of material that she had. Tom Nook's initial thought, that Sable had perhaps had enough of her life, started to fade as a new hypothesis came to mind. It made more sense; Tom Nook looked back at the note. He couldn't take his eyes off the digits. 5:15. _5:15_, he thought. Was it really as simple as that?

Slowly, he moved his head to look at the clock inside of the store. It read 5 o clock exactly. His thoughts started to frantically form together; he even found his feet moving a little to try and cope with it. It was on the tip of his tongue, and with one last look at the paper, he gasped.

"She's at the station!" he gasped, quickly dropping the note and barging out of the door. Mabel quickly tried to follow him, but was unwilling to step out into the monsoon-like rain. Watching as Tom Nook vanished into the darkness of the storm, she yelled and cried out for him. It hurt Tom Nook not to tell Mable of her sister's fate, but time was of the essence. He knew exactly what Sable was trying to do now. She was trying to leave town. _I'm out of here, forever. _The digits 5:15 must have been the time of the train's arrival, and if Tom Nook didn't reach the station by that time, then Sable would be forever lost. Despite the now excruciating pain in his legs, he ran on regardless, determined not to let Sable leave his life.

Within time, he caught sight of the station, perched up on a hill. Shielding his eyes from the rain, he peered towards the lamp lit, sheltered platform; the very same one that he himself had stood on when he left for the city. Was that where she was planning to leave?

His heart jumped as he spotted her silhouette standing beneath one of the lamps, wearing a large tartan coat with a big suitcase standing beside her. She was completely alone; she intended to vanish into the night, never to return. Erratically, Tom Nook clambered up the stairs to the platform, resorting to using his hands to help him up, before stumbling back onto his feet. His sounds were drowned out by the rain and Sable didn't notice him at all.

"Sable!" Tom Nook called suddenly, caching her attention. She turned around, surprised to see him. Anguish then started to creep upon her face, she had been caught red handed. Tom Nook limped up to her, a glance at the clock confirmed the time, thirteen past five.

"T-Tom, how did you find me so quickly?" she asked in shock.

"Sable, you can't do this" Tom Nook reasoned, trying to be calm. Sable sighed, hiding her face a little. Tom Nook noticed how dazzlingly beautiful she was to him, which hurt him even more to think of the prospect of her leaving.

"Tom…if I don't do this, then…I'll always be haunted by the past" Sable breathed, her voice already choking up. "These past few days have ended up hurting so many people…myself, my dear sister…you"

"I don't care how much you've hurt me" Tom Nook blurted defiantly. "You can't do this to me! I mean, whose going to take care of the Able Sisters store?"

"Mabel's a big girl now" Sable explained. "She can take care of the store for her own, now. I've left a large sum of money for her to buy a new machine and materials. She'll be fine"

"But she doesn't want you to leave!" Tom Nook pleaded. "_I _don't want you to leave!"

From the distance, the sound of a train could be heard approaching. Tom Nook started to panic as he saw Sable taking her bag closer to the platform. He took a few steps forward; he started to hunch in desperation. His expensive clothes were dirty, his face was stained with tears and rain and his voice was breaking up again.

"Please, don't go!" Tom Nook begged as the train reached the platform, beginning to slow down to a halt. Sable grabbed the handle of her bag, trying not to cry herself.

"Goodbye, Tom" she sobbed. "I-I always loved you…"

Feeling his heart ripping inside of him, he burst into tears and fell onto his knees.

"Sable" he cried weakly as the doors to the train opened. "I don't want you to go. I want you to stay here with me. I…I love you, Sable"

Sable stood still in front of the doors to the train, her hand still clenched determinedly on her bag. Tom Nook continued to sob, putting his head in his hands and his hands to the floor, truly begging for her to stay.

Sable looked down at him slowly, a look of surprise on her face.

"…S-Say that again…" she uttered. "D-did you just say…that you loved me?" Tom Nook struggled to his feet, still sobbing.

"Please…" he wept. "I love you, Sable, I-I don't want you to go! What am I ever going to do without you?"

Sable's tears started to flow from her eyes, trickling down her face as she walked around her bag and in front of Tom Nook.

"You've…" she whispered, her throat all clogged from the emotion. "You've never said that to me before…"

Tom Nook shook his head, putting his hands out. Sable took them into her own, holding them tightly as she watched her one true love cry in front of her.

"I'm s-sorry" Tom Nook stuttered, his words still tripping up from the overwhelming emotion he was feeling. "I'm sorry I never said it before…I can't imagine a life without you. Why did you think I became so miserable in the city?"

Unable to battle her own tears anymore, she quickly embraced Tom Nook, crying as profusely as she could. Tom Nook also continued to weep, but now his tears were full of joy. His relief was immense, he truly missed being in Sable's arms. He held onto her as tightly as she could, fearing that the train could swallow her up. Sable reacted likewise, holding him tighter. They cried into each other's shoulders, unable to bear the thought of even letting go. Tom Nook couldn't believe that he almost lost Sable. Sable couldn't believe she almost left altogether.

Mabel had managed to find a coat and fought through the early morning rain. As she approached the station platform, she saw the figures of Tom Nook and Sable embracing beneath the lamp light as the train started to move away. She remained out of sight, giving them the privacy they needed, but shed a single tear of happiness for them. Against all odds, it worked out.

After a few minutes, both Tom Nook and Sable had no more tears to cry. They separated slightly, just enough to look at each other's faces.

"Oh, Tom…" Sable sniffed. "I'm so sorry. I've been a real pain, haven't I?" Tom Nook, too relieved to feel anything but happiness, took a soft hold of Sable's cheeks, caressing them with his rain soaked palms.

"I wouldn't have you any other way…" he said, beaming amidst his tears. He then kissed her; the taste of her lips was like honey to him. His heart skipped a beat, the past few days had caused him to forget how being madly in love felt like. Sable's disbelief was clear on her face; it appeared she had forgotten as well.

"But, what about Mark?" Sable asked. Tom Nook started to chuckle a little.

"Forget him" he said quickly, his smile proud upon his face. "There isn't _anything_ he could say that would make me love you any less…" As he talked, his throat choked up with emotion once again. Sable continued to tear up as they kissed again, before returning back into their embrace.

Tom Nook happened to notice something as they cuddled again. He had caught sight of something on Sable's arm, beneath her fur. A thin white line, slightly jagged, on the inside of her forearm. A scar. He remembered Tortimer's words and remembered the history of that scar. Closing his eyes, he made a silent promise that day: to make sure that something like that never happened again.


	12. Epilogue

Epilogue

Mark seemed to vanish from the lives of Tom Nook and Sable just as quickly as he had appeared. Against everybody's expectations, the dreadful memory of his appearance seemed to disappear into the annals of history. He never returned.

Six months to the very day the conflicts had been resolved, Tom Nook was busily strolling down to his store with his little nephews Timmy and Tommy in tow. As he neared his shop, he charged his two nephews with the responsibility of opening his store up whilst he took a different turn. Watching them make their way to the big building, Tom Nook smiled and turned his head and his heels, walking down a different path. The path took him to the Able Sisters store, where he would pop in to see Sable before the day's business.

Walking into the store, he saw Sable instantly, smiling at him coyly. Smiling back, he greeted her with a kiss and a cuddle. Mabel wasn't around; she must have been upstairs, late again.

"Good morning" he said jovially to her as they parted. Sable, who seemed to be blushing, would usually respond with 'good morning' as well. But today, she didn't. She had something else in store for Tom Nook.

"Tom, do you know what day it is today?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. At once, Tom Nook's heart jumped, he gasped quietly.

"It's not your birthday, is it?" he asked with concern. "I completely forgot; I haven't gotten you a present!" Sable started to giggle as she watched Tom Nook face became riddled with puzzlement.

"No, silly!" she replied, still giggling. She then moved a little closer to Tom Nook, taking his hands. "Today…marks one year since we became partners"

Tom Nook's eyes opened with surprise, a smile appeared on his face, showing his teeth.

"Well I'll be!" he said gleefully. "One year! And hasn't it flown, hm?" He then watched as she lowered her head shyly, her blush returning. He could tell she was hiding something; there was a huge smile plastered on her face that contradicted her body language.

"Sable…are you hiding something?" he asked. Sable looked back at Tom, her eyes closing slightly. She appeared as if she were dreaming.

"Tom…" she whispered. "…There's something **else** I wanted to tell you"

Tom Nook started to get nervous; what could it be this time?

"Sable?" Tom asked, trying to make sense of what Sable was conveying. She moved her head slightly, signaling for Tom to move his ear closer. Tom Nook answered the call, moving in close to hear her whisper.

If one were to stand outside the window of the Able Sisters store, they would have seen the proceedings within. They would see Sable whispering something into Tom Nook's ear. They would see Tom Nook's eyes shoot wide open, watching as they filled with tears. Sable too would tear up and the two would embrace. One could be able to feel the love and the joy that was bursting inside the room, and if one looked very closely, hidden behind Sable's gingham apron was her hand, caressing the slightly swollen stomach that hid behind it. Finally, if one were to attune their ears, through the sobs of joy at the creaking of the floorboards, one could hear Sable say:

"_The angels have returned"_

**Thanks for reading; it's been some time since I posted something good on this site. I had a terrible case of writer's block, half finishing stories and deleting them, trying to write one-shots that just seemed uninspiring. However, it's just something with this pairing that is easy to write with; so many possibilities and scenarios to imagine with them. In any case, hope you enjoyed the story, thank you for the reviews!**


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